Heloise: Use cleaners wisely

Dear Heloise: When we had a new septic tank installed several years ago, the installer cautioned that excessive use of antibacterial cleaning products can “kill” a septic tank.

There are times when the use of antibacterial cleaning products is desirable. Most often, soap and water are sufficient for daily cleaning. — Barbara in Iowa

Barbara, household antibacterial products might kill some of the bacteria in a septic system, but it depends on how you use the products. Normal daily use in a household of two to three people probably is all right. — Heloise

Dear Heloise: I know a lot of people like to wrap their toiletries in plastic bags before putting them in their luggage to contain spills. I cut a small section of plastic wrap, place it over the opening of a container and then screw the lid back on. This way has never failed, and it keeps me from having to switch from my brand. — Paulina, via email

Dear Readers: A recent column asked how many lipsticks women have. The number ranged from one to more than 90! Here are some hints for using lip color:

■ Make sure your lips are fully moisturized. If they are dry, put on a light layer of colorless lip balm to keep them soft.

■ Outline with a lip pencil and fill with lip liner.

■ Put on matte lipstick.

■ Fold a tissue in half, place it in between your lips and press them together to blot.

Dear Heloise: I have a toddler son who loves to pull all the wipes out of the wipe container. I kept some containers after they were emptied and filled them with fabric scraps I had lying around the house. Now he can “pull” for hours, and he isn’t wasting money. — Kim in Texas